Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

25 reviews

jordan21's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The writing is superb, and I loved the flow of the narrative in the beginning. The pacing seemed to unravel in the last third of the book, and the relationships of the main character felt rushed, complicated and exhausting. I would’ve enjoyed the book better if it ended after she left treatment, instead of continuing another 50 pages. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicide

skudiklier's review

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was really engaged with this--after I got through the beginning bits and got properly into the story, I read almost the whole thing in a day. I found the protagonist relatable in a messy she-needs-help kind of way, and some of her struggles with things like abandonment and generational trauma were hard to read, but in a good way. I like the way the timeline jumps around and you don't find out things in chronological order, and I also like how the book addresses why the narrator's mom is the way she is, without excusing the way she treats the narrator. I'd recommend this book but I'd also definitely say to look at the content warnings first, since this book can get pretty heavy at times.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Abandonment, Homophobia, Addiction, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War, Drug abuse, Racism, Outing, Self harm, Sexual content, Death, and Pedophilia

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Blood, Suicide, and Pregnancy

drrayeraye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Islamophobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism

cara_elaine's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This novel sucked me in and read it all in almost one sitting- the story oscillates between the linear current-ish day/time of our protagonist with sudden and sharp memories of her past - ranging from sex and pain to beautiful still moments of childhood. A beautiful story that captured the feeling of in-between as the queer child of immigrants. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Racism

rhi_'s review

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

mscalls's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Infidelity, Outing, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Eating disorder

erinalt90's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I really had high hopes for this book. It had a great start and moved fast. around 40% it started to get slow and by 60% not only was it boring but it was a completely different book. I think Arafat is a great writer but she seems more like a short story/anthology writer. 
The ending is disappointing and the book overall is just - sporadic? I don't know. It doesn't work in my opinion. 
I never read reviews for books before/during. But all the reviews who also gave it around 2-3.5 stars I agree with completely. 
There were also tiny conflicting details/inconsistencies in the set up/characters. At one point someone is referred to as a "classmate" and three sentences later - while talking about the same character- they are referred to as "coworker." They are small little details but there are enough of them that they start to add up. 
TW: potential child abuse
*
*
*
*
*
*
There was also an entire section with another character and pregnancy/child fetish played a role and it was just- weird. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting

samisal's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really loved reading this. The central focus of this book is not plot or even the characters as much as the relationships. It is a portrait of the protagonist's many relationships, romantic, familial, and otherwise. I found the writing to be really clever and the narrator to be complicated and beautiful. I feel like she becomes your friend. I hope to see more Arab-American fiction that pushes the boundaries of our narratives like this. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Eating disorder, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

marabdelmageed's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I quite liked this book. The only drawbacks, in my opinion, are the depictions of personality disorders and the use of ableist language.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and War

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Colonisation, Cursing, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Islamophobia, and Rape

202claire's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Biphobia, Colonisation, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, and Religious bigotry